Denver recreational marijuana shop prepares for Jan. 1 opening

Medicine Man Denver ready for intense scrutiny

A Denver recreational marijuana store says it will be ready to open on Jan. 1, and the owners are preparing to be under intense scrutiny from regulators and advocacy groups. Jaclyn Allen reports.

KMGH

Marijuana plants fill a grow facility at Medicine Man Denver, which is preparing to be one of the first Colorado recreational pot retailers to open on Jan. 1, 2014. (Photo: Brian Ferguson/7NEWS)

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DENVER - A Denver recreational marijuana store says it will be ready to open on Jan. 1, and the owners are preparing to be under intense scrutiny from regulators and advocacy groups.

"We just finished our final inspection," said Elan Nelson, a consultant for Medicine Man Denver. "We had to do five inspections for the city of Denver and one for the state. Fingers crossed, we'll be open for retail sales on January 1st."

Medicine Man Denver has a small shop, but a 20,000 square foot grow warehouse, and they're planning to double that grow space.

"We're still concerned we won't be able to meet demand," said Nelson.

It was her job to make sure the shop filled out the necessary applications, paid fees, attended public hearings and passed inspections.

After all that, Nelson said they are prepared to be an example and willing to be under the microscope.

"It's been rigorous," she said. "But we're ready."

Still, Rachel O'Bryan of Smart Colorado, a group dedicated to combating youth marijuana use, said her organization is concerned about consumer safety on Jan. 1.

"The testing for potency and contaminants will not be in place," said O'Bryan. "The testing agencies' licenses are not out until Jan. 1, so products on the shelf can not be consumer-safety tested as the legislature intended."

O'Bryan said the testing requirements didn't have a start date, so the pot shops have been allowed to move forward.

Nelson said she's confident they are compliant with rules and regulations set forth by the state.

"I do expect there are going to be some questions put towards us to put us on the spot," said Nelson. "We going to have trained staff and do our best to make sure we're ready for all this that's coming."

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.